Heineken International has announced that it has extended its contract with UEFA to sponsor the UEFA Champions League for a further three years. Heineken’s new agreement will see its current deal with the world’s most prestigious club tournament extend until the end of the 2014/15 season. The partnership is set to continue to be an important component of the beer brand’s global sports sponsorship strategy while supporting the growth objectives of the brand.

Beer and music do match. This was proved by numerous partnerships and collaborations with performers launched by many brands including Heineken, Grolsch, Carlsberg, as well as premium lager brand Kronenbourg 1664, which is to release a new music-centered addition to its ‘Slow the Pace’ campaign, devised by BBH. Just like Levi’s did within its ‘Pioneer Session’ where celebrated artists were remaking popular songs of past decades, the beer brand is helping old tracks be heard again and live a new life but with the same musicians.

Pilsner Urquell, a flagship of SABMiller’s international brand portfolio, launched its new global creative campaign ‘The Legends of Pilsner Urquell’ on YouTube and PilsnerUrquell.com. The meticulously created stop-frame animation film celebrates ‘The Day Pilsen Struck Gold,’ the first chapter, in the true historical legends of the brand. The film tells the factual history of November 1842, when the Pilsen brewers took the inaugural sip of the world’s first golden beer.

Johnnie Walker opened The Johnnie Walker House in Shanghai, the first of its kind outside of Scotland, which marks a new chapter for whisky culture in China. Celebrities and the social elite joined in the event:  Xia Yu, who was a named winner at The 51st Venice film festival; Chen Kun, winner of both the Huabiao and Baihua award; and Peter Chan, the influential film director and producer took part in the unveiling ceremony on May 19. The three celebrity guests, along with Johnnie Walker’s Master Blender, Dr. Jim Beveridge, led a tour for distinguished guests inside The Johnnie Walker House and engaged them in an interactive exploration of centuries-old whisky culture, from the shores of Scotland to the luxury of Shanghai.

Santa Margherita launched Pinot Grigio fifty years ago and was the first company to sell the variety commercially. Today the brand is the largest selling Pinot Grigio in the world. The variety is particularly popular in the USA and Santa Margherita is the by far the biggest selling brand there. The magnum bottle introduced to mark the anniversary is the first sparkling Pinot Grigio and is produced according to the metodo classico (champagne method).

Heineken, which launched its hilarious Open Your World campaign in December 2010 with the ‘The Entrance’ spot, is now coming up with a new stunning video, the long-awaited second spot of the campaign. The film, which premiered on YouTube yesterday, May 25, is called ‘The Date’ and features a couple which is walking through a huge Chinese restaurant, packed with musicians, guests, chefs, beautiful ladies and gentlemen and a magician with a rabbit.

Jim Beam debuts the latest innovation in its portfolioDevil’s Cut, bourbon whiskey is created using a proprietary process that extracts the liquid trapped inside the wood of the bourbon barrels. The product is a robust premium bourbon with a deep color, aroma and character that showcases notes of wood, oak and vanilla derived from the barrel wood.